No certainty mines are laid in Strait of Hormuz, France says

France has not yet confirmed whether naval mines have been laid in the strategic Strait of Hormuz, according to Defence Minister Catherine Vautrin. Her comments on France Info radio follow recent U.S. media reports claiming that at least 10 mines had been detected in the critical shipping lane.

While Vautrin noted there is currently "no certainty" regarding the presence of the explosives, she emphasized that France is not taking any chances, News.Az reports, citing Al Jazeera.

"In any case, we are preparing for the necessity to potentially remove mines," Vautrin stated.

As a proactive measure, demining vessels are being deployed to the region. The ships are slated to join a potential future joint mission led by France and the United Kingdom. France already has one specialized mine-hunting vessel stationed nearby at its military base in Djibouti, ready to assist if needed.

News.Az 

By Aysel Mammadzada